Shirong Che: Life Goes On Duncan Hallway Showcase, 04/25/2022–04/29/2022 Advisors: Binh Danh, Jonathan Fung Works in the Exhibit

Artist's Statement

The camera is a magic box for me to pause time. Each photo is my retention for some time; it can be a short moment or an extended period. So when I shoot portraits, I don't just pay attention to the moment I'm shooting but the myriad reasons behind that moment. Everyone who comes to me to take pictures is for different reasons, and all I can do is help them preserve their current state as much as possible, whether it is joy, confusion, sadness, or happiness.

Ashley has just undergone a rigorous weight loss program. In the past, she was deeply troubled by body anxiety, and her fat body made her very unconfident. Now she is exercising and loving her way of life more, becoming more and more confident.Jamie's daily routine of work and life has made her lose her enthusiasm for life, and she needs to develop some new hobbies to make her life enjoyable. Situ is Jamie's husband, and he is only 22 years old. He enjoys the current stable life and misses the happy and free days of the past. So they found me at the same time and wanted to complete a set of fashion photos, and they enjoyed shooting and reminiscing about the time when they first met. Louis is my boss, only 21 years old. He likes to try new and different things. Recently he is starting a business on NFTs. Although his father is wealthy and supports his career, it also brings him a lot of pressure. KK is a passionate single mom who always wants to try new and different things. She gladly accepted my request to model for a day, even with two jobs and babysitting. She is always so passionate. Annie was dissatisfied with her marriage, making her lose faith in love. She asked me what love is or whether love exists or not. This question stumped me because I don't have an answer either. Binbin didn't realize she had chosen a major that wasn't right for her until after college. After a year and a half of hard work, she finally finished her master's degree and found a job she loves. Now she puts all her passions into work and making friends.Yanli is my mom and my favorite person in the world. Her life has been misbehaving lately because her body is deficient in iodine, making her feel abnormally weak every day. Every day she thinks her fragile self is causing trouble for our family. I wanted to tell her what she was like, and neither my dad nor I would think she was holding us down.

I love listening to other people's stories and helping them fulfill their wishes through photography. I can experience the same happiness when my models love the photos I take. They may face many different difficulties; the moment they get the picture, those difficulties are a thing of the past. I hope my photos can give them the courage and motivation to move on with their lives.